VATICAN CITY

Inspite of the age of its gifts Vatican City itself is not that old. Concealed inside Rome, and safeguarded by walls and the Vatican Guard, Vatican Town is home to the Pope and many of the Catholic Church's greatest clergymen. Vatican City became an internationally recognized impartial state in 1929, when Pope Pius XI and King Victor Emmanuel 3 of Italy entered into the Lateran Treaty. The Treaty was actually authorized by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Gasparri and future tyrannical leader Primary Minister Benito Mussolini on behalf of their rulers. The treaty made the 110-acre of Catholic resource a landlocked sovereign city-state, and 840 people make Vatican City the tiniest country in the world today.

Inside Vatican City

Inside Vatican City, visitors will find art and architecture going back in Ancient times. What started as a chance find, has turned into one of the hottest art collections on the globe. The Popes love their art, and Vatican City demonstrates that in breathtaking splendor and wonder. In 1506, Pope Julius II got his hands on one of the biggest sculptures of all time: Laocoon great Sons. The Pope enrolled Michelangelo and Giuliano da Sangallo to verify the statue's authenticity, and then located the depiction of Laocoon, a Trojan clergyman, and his sons being consumed by sea tortue into what is now the Vatican Museums. Catholicism's obsession with fine artwork began, and now we certainly have the treasures of Vatican City to enjoy ourselves, all thanks to Père Julius II and the help of a few slightly influential artistic characters of the Renaissance period! Precisely what is there to see?

As you enter into Vatican City, you’ll see one of the most famous squares and basilicas in the world today. The Papal Basilica Of Saint Peter and its outer lying Saint Peter’s Square is an architectural feat of Renaissance and Baroque proportions, and the declared burial site of Saint Peter himself. At the same time Pope Julius II commissioned Laocoon and His Sons, work began on this world-famous basilica and continued until 1626. Yep! Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square took 120 years to build, and it’s no wonder why; outside the basilica, Roman columns of ancient proportions adorn the area, and the basilica and square were decorated by artists such as Bernini, Bramante, Maderno, and Michelangelo.

After you’ve stood in Saint Peter’s Square, simply taking the area in, and then marveled at Saint Peter’s Basilica, you have to move forward to a place I’ve been blogging about repeatedly: The Vatican Museums are the number one museum in all of Italy. More people visit the Vatican Museums than any other Italian museum. In fact, the Vatican Museums consistently place within the top 10 museums in the world annually. There’s a good reason for that. Remember Pope Julius II? He began at tradition that, to this day, continues; Popes throughout history have contributed to the Vatican Museum’s expansive art collection year after year. There is so much to see there.